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104-10095-10202

© pemenes!

& MAY 37g

MEMORANDUM FOR: Deputy Director for Operations -

SUBJECT © _t “Media Inquiry to Cuban Exile Journalist in

. Miami re Cuban Involvement in Watergate
Case and Attitudes in Miami Area Te

a
5

1. This memorandum is for your information only;

2. On 7 May 1973 we were advised by Station WH/Miami that mE

“two enployess of a Station WH/Miani proprietary hadstold the

tation that one Rene VIERA Gonzalez, a Cuban exile “journalist

_.Who writes for Diario Las Americas and owns the Westchester
. Mali; Bookstore In Miami received a call in early May from one

‘St., Kensington, Md. who was formerly an‘emplo

FNU GOTTLIEB who said. he worked for tha Tines in Washington. —
(GOTTLIES is believed to be Sanford GOTTLIIES, 11192 Brandywine

yee of] the

' National Committee on Sane Nuclear Policy". -A pretext call to .

the Washington bureau of the New York Tines verified: that one

"Sandy" Gottlieb was enployed there. UPILTEB asked VIERA
-- what people in Miami were Saying about the Watergate’ case and
_ What participation the Cubans had in it. He specifically

o£ Investigation in Batista Government), and Rolando MASFERRER

asked about the activities of Reinaldo PICO (former 2506
Brigade member), Orlando PIEDRA (former Chief of Cuban Bureau

(former Cuban Senator and self-admitted former Communist).

te also asked if ITT had an office in Miami, whether Joaquin:
SANJENIS Perdome (former Chief of a WH/Miami proprietary who
was amicably terminated in 1972) and Juan A. PAULA (former
WH/Miami proprietary employee dnd former Controller of - Lo
Revolutionary Democratic Pront-FRD-and currently employed by |
an OGC proprietary) were still in the Miami area, He wes also
interested in Edgardo BUTTARI, a Cuban born in West Tampa,

‘Florida, a former Cuban Congressman and Minister of Comaerce

Le AE ETD SS A
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PRovrsee on eBoy? f

who is reportedly associated with Mr, Charios "Bebe" REROZO,
ccording to GOTTLIEB, BUTTARI was appointed as "political ..
Chief in the Republican Party", . ; ;

RETy,

B RN 7;

De ground ys—tA
ot Reprodueg’” ;


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3. “GOTT LIES apparently has current. information on the-
activities of the persens he mentioned; for example, he
knew that Juan A. PAULA was involved in the jewelry business :
(PAULA and Antonio Felix GENOVA Corzo, a WH/Miami proprietary ~
employee recently purchasad a jewelry business) and he knew a
that Reinaldo PICO had resided in Venezuela and had recently |
returned to the United States. The phone conversation lasted | ne
about 45 minutes and GOTTLIEB told VIERA that 2 fhe. cane to

‘aml they would have dench together. : 5 :

fre

4. VIERA ‘does. not know GOTTLIEB ut tated? to hin because
‘GOTTLIEB said he was recommended by\ Ernesto BETANCOURT TRO
has resided in the Washington area for more than ten yéars, — .

. oF (BETANCOURT. was a former Agency asset and is currently Chief of ©
_ & Economic Planning and Budget, OAS.> The conversation was -
initially in English but continued in Spanish. . VIERA said he os
provided no information te GOTTLIEB on the basis that he is a
Cuban exile and did not want to get involved in internal U.S.
‘affairs. We-do not know why GOTTLIEB was interested in Joaquin. 5
SANJENIS or Juan A. PAULA, “(Attached - are  SURROTY biographies _
“o£ persons of interest to GOTTLIEB. ). ; _ ne oo

~~ ot :) ae
3. On 7 May 19731 Marvin 1 L. EVANS) Chief ;(MEIMUTE wat) we was ;
briefed on the. substance of the rep 3 from WH/Miani pertaining -

M

. to Juan A. PAULA, who works for the (MHHUTUAL preprietary,24
‘ HeKERCHER and AVANT which utilizes THHEST MANAGEMENT - Services, ay
inc) as office spacs cover. Among other duties performed by oe
the proprietary are the monthly checks sent to the dependents —
_.) e8£ imprisoned assets which are signed in true name by PAULA.
ob EVANS was unayare that ‘PAULA had pur rchased a new jewelry ns
usiness in association with Antonio GENOVA; however, } he feels we
that QIEMUTYAL)is pr otected and compartmented from the WE H/Miami -.
propristary and he has the utmost confidence in the propri Rotary, |
being able to field any questions Olin ITUAL) conmmication with ©
ob the propractaRy is by unlisted phone, and a post office box.
Gunns said that bexzncns) R) and Q@vany could possibly be 1 inked. oe
NORTIWEST MANAGEMENT) Dut the trail would end there. “He - oa
- ° £eels that bither prop ietary covid only be lin xed to the Agency ,
‘olby innuendo. {He did say that Howard HUNT was aware of
$INUTUAD) when he served as C/CA/ SUR.) EvanS feels secure as
far as (NORTHWEST MANAGEME zi) and icKERCHER ‘and AVANT) are.
concerned... rae zu AE

2 Ube

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6. Gildedanee that c the bona Fide law firm occupying ©

‘the other Bae of the MEMUTUA offices are the attorneys -

for (Gobn DEAN)OG (These lawyers, ere cleared and witting.) o
One Sf the lawyers told (SVAN9)"that OBA! N@ill be the "biggest

-canary singer of the year”. The common receptionist area is

manned by, WHMUTUAL employees who also monitor all telephon
calls, incoming and outgoing for the other law firn. . EVANS 7
nientioned that there have been numerous calls from the media

and outgoing overseas. calis to such places as Japan. and Errore.

7. GVAND wi be traveling ‘to Nassau and returning via

Mian on 10 May 1973. He intends,,to talk with his proprietary -
people at that time on other (HMUTUAD business and Will also |

“contact COS, WH/Miami. (The COS has been alerted | ‘to expect |. .-

eer Director of Security oe ae eg

“@ call from EVANS on 10 May 1973. “Jo

Janes BE. Fl annery ..

‘James E. Flanaery |
Acting Chief
Western Herisphere Division

Attachment A FR Biograph ic Susmaries


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— nc | GETAGOE ENT A — a,
. woe oT Fee a ; tio:

Rene VIERA Gonzalez 7 Se

Report ex for Diario Las Americas; was speaker for
Journalism in Exite ate * Meeting held Flagler Theater, .

Miami June iss7. a ce

Had also be an head. of Public Relations for Cuban. -; a
National Bank, Rate not given. a -

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1 ae :
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aranrer
pha §
PEble |
at
‘Dee .

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Reinaldo PICO Ramon - formerly AMICE-31 (201-284653)

POA. granted 14 October’ 1960 as PM assat.” Member’
2596 Brigade, captured Bay of Pigs. Member of Prisoners
Commission sent by Castro to Miami to negotiate release
of prisoners in exchange for mechanical equipment and other
‘ supplies needed by Cuha. Defected and refused to accompany
other menbers of Prisoners Commission on their. return to-
Cuba in July 19st. POA granted 15 Juna 1964 for usé as
Ca/Prog asset. SGSNIRLED 3-October 1964 -~ OA 4 February -
" 2966. Amicably terminated 30 June 1368. As of July 1959
- in Caracas, Venezuela. In December. 1969 he was-destribed - ~~.
_ by a source as “one does not know where the biuft begins and
ends, what is true and what is lie”, ; ae


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ATTACHMENT C -
Nh

Orlando PIEDRA . a
Griando Eleno PIEDRA-NEGUERLA (291-247879).

aka - Orlando Eleno NEGUERLA-PIEDRA
‘aka ~- Orlando PIEDRA oo. oe
aka aad oO. ROCA . .

Born. 18 December 1917, Havana, Cuba.
Believed to be Cuban citizen currently.
‘ . . ’ . 7 - . i a . - a . .

. | Was Chief of Cuban Burea of Investigation in. Batista Covéern-
_ Went. Told FBI Juné 1959 he was forced to leave Cuba uson £213
of Batista, Rdéportedly head of anti-Castro group in Miami in
‘June 1555, In Sept 59 reported to be friendly with Relando .

MASFERRER Rojas, ex-Cuban senator and publisher, PEEDRA _-

reportedly furnished with money by Batista, 2-80.

‘| During Batista regine was included with others = oe
responsible officials considered directly davolyed in tortures.
and killing of Cuban citizens. Resided in Fort Lauderdale,
Fila, in February 1960. Buring Batista regime PIEDRA was in
‘Charge of ail matters pertaining to. gambling, rackets and 2 <)-
. contraband, In 1953 in Cuba PIEDBA-was also involved in ~
‘business of Chinese contraband, re

he ever used by Agency. |».

mo.

No indicatia


Rolando Arcadi o, MASFERRER Rojas (201-42669) . ~

Former Cuban senator and self-admitted former Communis te
Quite active during early 60's in’various anti-Castro
ectivities in U.S. Recently served four and one-half year
prison sentence received U.S. Bistrict Court for- violation of
U.S. neutrality 1a WS - es . 7

No indication Headquarters has been in touch with subjec
at any time. | oe. Be

Born 1918 in Cuba; typifies worst elements in ‘former: regime | i
of Batista. Name connotes ruthlessness, assassination, tortere
and extortion. ; . BO

orth considers pimself to be a Marxian Socialist;. has a a
rulent critic OF u. S. in past. er


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“Edgar Anthony BUTTARI Puig (D.V.¥.)

z 24)

.2t West Tampa, Florida, the son af a Cuban who fought in th
eral :

instructor of the Ministry of State in 1933. He later bec

Under Secretary of Labor, In'1938 he returned to Cuba and oo. |
Served as Secretary of Commarce until 1940. fle later was appol

‘Habana. He remained in the House of Represen

' BUTTARE arrived in the U.S. in March 1960 to resi
t

.t _
%, . :

aka. ~ Edgar A. BUTTART (Soctor
aka - Edgardo BUTTARI y Puig (201-276771)
Photo. available no - a - .

=

While information in his file does not indicate any.past or.

present CYA contact, there is unsourced information in the
‘HH/COG card file which shows that BUTTARI was in touch with.
_ Frank Bender (Gerard Droller} in Miani in the Spring of 1940, .'
apparently in relation to BUTTARI's involvement with the °°.”

Revolutionary Democratic Front (FRD). Currently BUTTART.is . .

avolyed in many business ventures in South Florida and is --. i

reportedly associated with Charles "Bebe! Rebozo socially and. |

in business. na
Edgardo BUTTARI was born 14 August 1909 {also give’

Cuban’ Independence War,’ Appointed Cuban: Inspector Gan

ro

Minister of the Cuban Foreign Service. Appointed Minister of

Commerce by Batista in 1942, he held that pest until 2944 |

when he resigned to run for the House of Representatives, . > -
p tatives until 1952

Miami, Florida. He becama involved with 3
2 ‘ amma . 7

= °, 7 .
Hemocratic Front.

i SS
he Revolutionary: -. -

ane.

ated _

During his first tern a8 Minister of Commerce in 15933 he was.

forward legislation of nationalistic tendencies, warning to
"Yankee Haperialism", and seensd somewhat unfriendly to the ©
U.S. He later changed and in 1938 became more anxious ta
cooperate with the U.S., apparently having gotten over his

‘responsiblé for the arrest of several American representatives
_. O£ Large lard exporters in the U.S. (Swift, Armour, etc.) i,
. for increasing prices. At the sane time he endeavored to put |

cpenly anti-American feolings. However, he did not appear to. -

be dependable according to Enbassy reports. He has been
described a5 astute, clever, intelligent but Slippery. He —


